Maynardville Open Air Theatre – A Must for Cape Town

THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD III

15 January – 22 February 2014

After a long and bloody civil war between the royal family of York and the royal family of Lancaster, England enjoys a period of peace under King Edward IV and the victorious Yorks.

Richard Duke of Gloucester, younger brother to the King, is not content and is determined to gain the crown of England from his sickly brother King Edward IV. Using his skills of deception and political manipulation, Richard begins his campaign for the throne. He woos the widow, Lady Ann at the funeral of her father-in-law, King Henry VI. She yields to his advances and marries him. In the meantime, Richard organises the murder of his brother George, Duke of Clarence, whom he has had imprisoned in the Tower of London.

With his brother the king being ill, Richard is appointed as Lord Protector of the King’s young sons. After the death of the king, Richard places the young princes in the Tower and consolidates his power with the help of Buckingham who becomes his most trusted ally. Together Richard and Buckingham, with the help of Catesby, engineer the execution of various noble men who stand in their way. Buckingham is a very convincing orator and gains the support of the Lord Mayor of London and his followers on Richard’s behalf. Richard is proclaimed King.

The young princes are murdered in the Tower. Buckingham, who has been alongside Richard during all of his campaign for the throne, withdraws his support of the newly crowned king over the killing of the children. Realising how displeased Richard becomes with this betrayal, and fearing for his own safety, Buckingham flees. Like those other noblemen before him, he too is captured and executed.

Feeling insecure in his position, Richard plans to marry his brother Edward’s daughter, Elizabeth, his niece. He tries to convince the ex-Queen Elizabeth to persuade the young Elizabeth to marry him.

Meanwhile, many nobles deeply dissatisfied with Richard’s claim to the throne have fled to join forces with the passionate young Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, the heir to the Lancastrian claim to the throne. Richmond invades the country to make war on Richard and they meet at Bosworth Field. On the eve of the battle Richard is haunted by the ghosts of his victims. He is killed in the battle and Richmond emerges victorious becoming Henry VII of England. The play ends with him planning to marry young Elizabeth of York and end the civil war which has plagued the country.